47th Annual Abbey Bach Festival

Thursday, July 26, 2018

6 PM Abbey Church
Doug Schneider, organ (program 2)

8 PM Damian Center
Yegor Dyachkov, cello and Jean Saulnier, piano

Lauded for his remarkable stage presence, depth of insight, nuance and generosity, cellist Yegor Dyachkov is an inspired recitalist, chamber musician and concerto soloist. Since being proclaimed Artist of the Year by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, in 2000, Mr. Dyachkov has gone on to perform throughout Europe, Latin America, Asia, Canada and the United States, making his New York debut at Lincoln Center in October 2000. He has appeared with major orchestras in such cities as Antwerp, Geneva, Montreal, Rio de Janeiro, Toronto and Vancouver, and has performed at numerous international festivals in Évian, Kronberg, Lanaudière, Ottawa, and Tanglewood.

A champion of new music, Yegor Dyachkov has premiered works dedicated to him such as the Sonata by Jacques Hétu, Ironman by Michael Oesterle, Vez for solo cello by Ana Sokolovic, as well as Menuhin : Présence by the late André Prévost. He was invited by Yo-Yo Ma and Sony Music to take part in the Silk Road Project.
Winning the Orford International Competition led to an invitation from the Chandos label to record his debut CD in 1997. His other acclaimed recordings can be found on the Brioso, Pelléas and Analekta, Riche Lieu and Atma labels. Yegor Dyachkov’s principal mentors have been Aleksandr Fedorchenko in Moscow, Yuli Turovsky in Montréal and Boris Pergamenschikow in Cologne. He teaches at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University and at l'Université de Montréal and offers frequent masterclasses.

Jean Saulnier leads an active career as a recitalist, chamber musician, and teacher. Over the years, he has developed broad experience in both the solo and the chamber music repertoire. He is a sought-after collaborator by the best musicians from Canada and abroad, which speaks eloquently to the flexibility, natural playing ability, and spirit of partnership he brings to every performance.

A recipient of numerous prizes in national and international competitions, including the William Kapell International Competition, the Prix d’Europe, and the Leschetizsky Competition, Saulnier has performed in Canada, the United States, South America, and Europe. He has been a guest soloist with renowned orchestras such as the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, the Orchestre Symphonique de Québec, the Orchestre Métropolitain, the Rochester Philharmonic, and I Musici de Montréal. He has been heard in major Canadian music festivals and on CBC radio.

Performing with his long-time partners, cellist Yegor Dyachkov and clarinetist André Moisan, Saulnier has recorded many major works from the chamber music repertoire on the Pelléas, Atma, Analekta, and Doberman-Yppan recording labels. He unexpectedly discovered a rare 1848 Pleyel piano, leading him to engage in extensive research on the interpretation of Chopin’s works. His recording of a Chopin recital on this piano has been praised for its refinement and originality.

Saulnier studied with Marc Durand, Leon Fleisher and André Laplante. His doctorate from the Université de Montréal was saluted with the General Governor Academic Gold Medal. He is currently Associate Professor in the Music Faculty of the Université de Montréal, where he has been teaching for over twenty years. He is regularly invited to be a guest teacher at the Orford Arts Centre and to give master classes at institutions of higher education. He frequently serves as a jury member for national and international competitions, higher education institutions, and government agencies.

The mission of Mount Angel Abbey and Seminary is grounded in the Benedictine, Roman Catholic faith tradition that shapes our deepest values and way of life. We seek to foster an environment that honors and respects the inherent differences and gifts among our monks, students, faculty, employees, friends and guests. We cultivate a spirit of inclusiveness and respect for others that neither denies nor exaggerates differences.

We are called by the Gospel to embrace the marginalized and break down the privileges that exclude those who are different or disadvantaged. Guided by Church teaching, we celebrate the "transcendent dignity of each human person" and we accept our common duty to make ourselves neighbors to others and actively serve them (Catechism of the Catholic Church, III.3.1).